But for a player of his time (1889-1956) he was active in tournaments in central Europe, usually finishing in a respectable position and scoring individual wins against the likes of Gyula Breyer, Richard Réti, Ernst Grünfeld, Edgard Colle, Frank Marshall and Frederick Yates.
Notes in italics are algebraicised from the book.
Jacques Mieses - Lajos Asztalos
Charousek Memorial (Košice, Czechoslovakia) 1918
Vienna Game
Black's aggressive strategy is very instructive, and demonstrates that the king's fianchetto in an open game is not without risk.
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3
Very good, if slow, against 2...Nc6, this move is awkward here, where the adversary has duly prepared a counter-action in the centre.
3...d5
Black's well-known bid for freedom.
4.exd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Be6
The enterprising turn 5...Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bc5 7.Ne2 Nc6 8.0-0 0-0 etc has its points.
6.Nge2 Nc6 7.d3
If, less modestly, 7.d4, there follows 7...Nxc3 8.Bxc6+ (or 8.bxc3 9.Bd5 with a clear advantage for Black) bxc6 9.bxc3 Qd5 10.Rg1 Rd8 and Black has a fine game. Similarly, if 7.0-0 [then] 7...Be7 8.d4 (better 8.d3) Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bd5 and White must either give up the king's bishop - guardian of the castled king - or obstruct it by 10.f3.
7...Be7
Earlier the same year in Berlin the game Mieses - Carl Schlecter went 7...Bc5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Ne4 Be7 with approximate equality, according to Stockfish15 and Komodo13.02 (½–½, 39 moves).
8.0-0
A precarious lodging. A waiting move, such as 8.h3, was indicated.
 |
| Position after 8.0-0 |
*****
*****
*****
*****
8...h5
8...h5
Sounding the attack. The bellicose character of the subsequent play is indicated by the advance in the text, whereas, had he also castled, Black might have already called a peace conference.
Mieses - Yates, Scheveningen (Netherlands) 1913, saw 8...0-0 9.f4 Qd7 10.fxe5 Nxe5 11.Nf4 Nxf4 12.Bf4, after which 12...Bc5+ 13.Kh1 Ng6 would have given Black at least a slight edge, according to the engines. Yates played 12...Qd4+ 13.Kh1 Ng4 and won anyway in 48 moves.
9.h3
A well-known stratagem, intending to reply to 9...h4 by 10.g4, keeping the files closed.
The engines much prefer immediate central counterplay with 9.d4.
9...Qd7 10.Kh2 f5 11.d4
Trying to obtain a strong supporting square (at d4 or f4).
11...e4 12.Nf4 Nxf4 13.Bxf4 0-0-0
The engines reckon grabbing a pawn with 13...Nxd4 is even stronger.
14.f3?!
In his precarious situation White tries at least to bring his king's bishop back to life.
Much better, according to the engines, is 14.d5!?, although they reckon both 14...Bxd5 and 14...g5!? give Black the upper hand.
14...h4
A disintegrating advance, which had to be calculated to a nicety.
15.d5 hxg3+ 16.Kh1
If 16.Bxg3 [then] 16...f4 17.Bxf4 Bxh3 [the book has the impossible ...BxKP] 18.dxc6 Bxg2+ and wins.
16...g5
Continuing on the same strategic lines, which are both imaginative and energetic.
17.Bxg3 f4 18.dxc6
Still more disastrous for White would be 18.dxe6 Qxe6 etc.
18...Qxc6
The 'point' and the basis of all Black's calculations, for he will regain his piece at once, thanks to the intermediate attack on White's queen.
19.Qe1 fxg3 20.Qxg3 Bd6 21.Qe1 Bxh3
The decisive breach.
22.Nxe4 Bf5+ 23.Kg1 Bh2+ 24.Kf2 Qxc2+ 0-1
(25.Qe2 Bxe4). A game played by Black with sustained energy.
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